Simply Muffilicious

One of my goals in 2006 was to reduce the number of products we consumed that were loaded with preservatives and to prepare more meals with fresh ingredients.

I never paid any attention to food labels until last year when I was quite shocked to learn that most of the staples on my pantry shelves had questionable additives that I no longer wanted my family ingesting. I'll just say that no one was real happy with me when their favorite brands of chips, crackers, and... Oreo cookies, all processed with hydrogenated oil, were deleted from my weekly grocery list. Worse yet, those unhealthy snacks got replaced with healthier alternatives, the very unpopular wheat crackers, goldfish, and Frito's corn chips for which everyone experienced a rather unpleasant adjustment period of junk food withdrawals.

It wasn't anything harsh like taking my caffeine away and telling me that it was bad for me, therefore I was never going to drink another cup of coffee again. No, not after my ongoing love affair with Mr. Espresso who would agree 100% that migraine headaches are not part of the weaning factor in the reduction and/or elimination of harmful chemical food substances. Therefore, caffeine must be exempt.

Two of our biggest breakfast deletions were pre-packaged pancake and muffin mix from the box. Since I'd been reading up on pectin (found in the skin and peel of an orange) which can trap and eliminate cholesterol from the body--especially dangerous LDL cholesterol, I wanted to figure out how to get this stuff down little throats and into digestive tracts without provoking a phone call to child protective services.
So I didn't think serving it raw would be an option. There's no way I could even bribe my youngest child (who still makes a point to remind me throughout the day how much she loves me), to eat even one slice of peel.

That's why orange peels and blenders go good together.

This is one of the best muffin recipes I've ever made:

5 cups flour

2 and 1/2 cups sugar,

1 teaspoon each baking soda and salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In the blender combine:

1 cup of oil

1 and 3/4 cup milk

1 orange with peel (grate skin with potato peeler, then cut in quarters/remove seeds)

3 eggs

Mix blended ingredients with dry ingredients. Add 2 cups of blueberries OR 1 cup of chocolate chips

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin is another fruit that is rich in beta carotene which can help reduce the risk of cancers, including breast cancer (that's a big deal considering I'm raising four females).

This is a pumpkin cookie that literally melts in the mouth; a great alternative for picky eaters who won't touch sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, turnip, collard or beet greens (huh?), red peppers, apricots, peaches or prunes. My girls LOVE these cookies.

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon each baking soda and salt

1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger and cloves

2 teaspoons each baking powder and cinnamon

combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In mixing bowl blend:

2 cups vegetable shortening with 2 cups sugar

Then add the following:

15 ounces of canned pumpkin

2 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla (divided)

Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until combined. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 350 for 12-15 minutes.

I wonder what would happen if I accidentally substituted sweet potato for pumpkin...or maybe just half sweet potato and half pumpkin...